Watch Gate of Hell (1953) Online

Gate of Hell (1953)iMDB Rating: 7.2
Date Released : 10 December 1954
Genre : Drama, History, Romance
Stars : Machiko Kyô, Kazuo Hasegawa, Isao Yamagata, Yataro Kurokawa
Movie Quality : BRrip
Format : MKV
Size : 870 MB

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In 1160, in the Heian Period, Lord Kiyomori travels with his court to another feud and his Castle Sanjo is invaded by two other lords, in a coup. The loyal samurai Moritoh Enda asks the court lady Kesa to pose of the lord's sister to create a diversion while the lord's real sister and his father flee in the middle of the people. Then Moritoh travels to meet Lord Kiyomon and fights with him to defeat the enemies and the coup fails. Lord Kiyomon rewards the warriors that helped him and when he asks Moritoh what he wishes, he requests to marry Kesa. The lord grants his wish but soon he learns that Kesa is married with Wataru Watanabe, a samurai from the imperial guard. Moritoh harasses Kesa and threatens her, promising to kill her husband, her aunt and her if she does not marry him. Kesa's decision leads the trio to a tragic fate.

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Review :

A gorgeous film - even now

I saw this last night on TCM, which, BTW, is a rare treasure in this medium called the "idiot box". Isn't it remarkable that this movie is 53 years old, and it still sparkles? What an accomplishment! It had the ingredients of a truly great film - complex characters that are developed fully and efficiently, great story-telling with attention to details, and good acting - a little stylized, but keep in mind that that impression might be due partially to Westerners unfamiliarity with Japanese culture, and partially to how the definition of "good acting" has evolved.

I love the film's nobility and moral rectitude. Those were the days when (and we were in a culture where) "doing the right thing" was the expected norm. It was seen in Moritoh's loyalty at the price of - at least it seems at the time - expediency, which was preceded by Kesa's unflinching sense of duty and willingness to lay down her own life. This is the beauty of Kesa's "soul" that Moritoh found out all-too-late he failed to see, which manifested itself as bookends in the plot, but is in fact the moral center of the movie. Such ideals are no longer frequently or fully embraced these days. Look at how we glorify criminals in shows like The Sopranos and Thief. I also liked how the plot falls together: Kesa's readiness to sacrifice herself at the outset of the story made her self-immolation at the end of the film ring true. The little details: remember the talk of chestnuts when Moritoh first saw Kesa with her aunt? We saw later on those very chestnuts hanging on the swaying trees during Moritoh's unfortunate night time visit. When Wataru and Kesa took what turned out to be their last walk in the garden under a full moon, it was all peace and serenity. The very same setting is transformed sinister and ominous just moments later, with the moon now hidden by clouds, as Moritoh slowly emerges out of the darkness in the background - a truly masterful and memorable scene in the history of cinema.

The theme of "folly" pervades the movie: we see a lot of it just from one character, Lord Kiyamori - and he's a top dog and a leader! His son had to advise him to act quickly to quash the uprising when we first see him. He then failed to reward Kesa, who is every bit as deserving as Moritoh of recognition. Even if you chalk that failure up to be culturally driven, we have his Jephthah-like stupidity and arrogance in giving Moritoh pretty much carte-blanche in his wish for a reward. What's more, we have his incessant and insensitive teasing - instrumental in precipitating the tragedy, in that it made the proud Moritoh all the more determined to have Kesa. Was Wataru cowardly, foolish, or both, when he "threw" the race? Lest you missed it, there's the cruel irony of Moritoh's comment after his brother's treachery resulted in his execution, "My brother was a foolish man". Well you proved to be no Solomon, Moritoh.

I thought it was a little frustrating to watch Kesa's helplessness when Moritoh blackmailed her. Surely there's another way out, woman! But I suppose that's part of the tragic theme: all the characters had strengths as well as tragic flaws. At the risk of second-guessing the director of a great movie, I felt that he could have kept the identity of the person in bed a secret until the moment of truth, but I'm sure I need to remind myself that this is not meant to be a thriller. I'd like to watch this movie again, maybe along with a movie it reminds me of: Kurosawa's Ran.

Streaming Había una vez un marido (1953) Online

Había una vez un marido (1953)iMDB Rating: 6.2
Date Released : 5 March 1953
Genre : Comedy, Crime, Music, Mystery
Stars : Lilia Michel, Rafael Baledón, Pedro Infante, María Victoria." />
Movie Quality : BRrip
Format : MKV
Size : 870 MB

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Watch Perils of the Jungle Online

Perils of the Jungle (1953)iMDB Rating: 5.2
Date Released : 20 March 1953
Genre : Adventure, Drama
Stars : Clyde Beatty, Stanley Farrar, Phyllis Coates, John Doucette
Movie Quality : HDrip
Format : MKV
Size : 700 MB

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On an African safari with his friend Grant, Clyde Beatty plans to buy some black-maned Numbian lions from Jo Carter but her animals are wiped out by a fire. Despite interference by rival dealer Gorman, who hopes to ruin Jo, Beatty saves her business by helping her to capture an adult gorilla. (2nd story) When Grant is bitten by a tsetse fly and falls ill, Beatty heads for the nearest hospital through the territory of the dangerous Matabeles tribe. They are captured and condemned to death by Grubbs, a white man living with the tribe and stealing their gold. Using the Matabele Boy King as a shield, Beatty and Grant make an escape and Grubbs is forced to accompany them, leaving his loot behind.

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Review :

Cheap and forgettable.

This is a surprisingly bad film. Now this is NOT because there were a lot of watchable jungle movies made from the 1930s-1950s. No--most of them were terrible. But, because this one starred the very famous African explorer, circus owner and lion tamer, Clyde Beatty, I expected a bit more--such as realism. But, once again, like all the second-rate Tarzan ripoffs of the era, the animals were occasionally from different continents (Africa and Asia) and the gorilla was yet another guy dressed up in a cheap gorilla costume. I just thought I'd see better than this.

As for the story, it's a bit odd. Instead of a normal narrative, it is told as a flashback--and a rather sketchy and episodic one at that. It seemed like they cut scenes from several different movies to make up this one--and perhaps they did. The first story is about a female big-game dealer (Phyllis Coates--of "Superman" fame). The second, in a carryover from the first, is about an evil big-game dealer. And, the third segment is about an evil white guy who controls a tribe of savages. None of the stories are very good and it's all set in the dense jungles of Africa--which, for the most part, are only in the movies as lions and the like do NOT live in such environments but in the savannas. Once again, this is a mythical representation of Africa and despite Beatty's presence, it seems little like the real thing. Which makes you wonder if either Beatty didn't care or perhaps he wasn't quite the awesome explorer he portrayed himself as being during his interesting life. Overall, pretty dull and forgettable.

Watch Ghost Ship Online

Ghost Ship (1952)iMDB Rating: 5.7
Date Released : 8 July 1953
Genre : Horror
Stars : Hazel Court, Dermot Walsh, Hugh Burden, John Robinson
Movie Quality : HDrip
Format : MKV
Size : 870 MB

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A young couple buys a yacht and scoffs at the rumors that it is haunted. After a few incidents that ends their scoff they summon a professional ghost-tracker from the Institute for Investigation of Psychic Phenomena. He brings along a medium to assist him they learn, from her mumblings while in a trance, that the last owner of the ship---in its pre-haunted days---killed his unfaithful wife and her lover before they could do as much for him, and that their bodies are still concealed below the floor boards.

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Review :

Fairly tight little story

You can't look at this movie and compare to the blockbusters, but as a B flick it's pretty good, even up at the top (in my mind). The story of the ghost is told in flashbacks and through a séance. The acting is pretty good, though the stars are not memorable. It's almost like watching an old TV show, though I more liken it to "The Woman Who Came Back" (1945). Someone just wrote a nice little mystery with some adequately spooky moments, and that is about all there is to it.

It starts out with a couple trying to buy an older steamboat. The man selling it to them warns them of its haunting. You see moments of the inquiry and story that led to the haunting, but it is not until the séance that you start to get a clue as to what caused the haunting.

This movie has nothing to do with movies of the same title, one from the forties and one from a few years ago.

Watch Invaders from Mars Online

Invaders from Mars (1953)iMDB Rating: 6.5
Date Released : 22 April 1953
Genre : Horror, Sci-Fi
Stars : Helena Carter, Arthur Franz, Jimmy Hunt, Leif Erickson
Movie Quality : HDrip
Format : MKV
Size : 870 MB

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One night, young David McLean sees a spaceship crash into a nearby sandpit. His father goes to investigate, but comes back changed. Where once he was cheerful and affectionate, he's now sullen and snarlingly rude. Others fall into the sandpit and begin acting like him: cold, ill-tempered and conspiratorial. David knows that aliens are taking over the bodies of humans, but he'll soon discover there have been far more of these terrible thefts than he could have imagined. The young doom-monger finds some serious help in a lady doctor and a brilliant astronomer. Soon they meet the aliens: green creatures with insect-like eyes. These beings prove to be slaves to their leader: a large, silent head with ceaselessly shifting eyes and two tentacles on either side, each of which branches off into three smaller tentacles. It's up to the redoubtable earth trio to stop its evil plans.

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Review :

Nostalgia probably has a lot to do with my affection for this film.

It could never be legitimately argued as one of the masterworks of Cinema. And, while its director was at the very least always regarded as competent, and more usually engaged as a production designer, he would never even be considered by critics when ranking the greats.

But at a time when computerised sleight-of-hand can achieve the impossible in depiction of alien worlds, few modern science-fiction films can match the portrayal of a young boy's fear and wonderment of the unknown as depicted in the original version of Invaders from Mars.

Nostalgia probably has a lot to do with my affection for this film. Although the original release date of the film was before my time, even some years later the early 1960's Irish schoolboys were still endlessly fascinated with the possibility of flying saucers. And while we wanted to believe that there really was something out there, the Red Planet was seen as this great evil place which we had to be constantly wary of.

So I really do identify with Jimmy Hunt and his sense of wonder. But the film is more than just a festival for nostalgia-freaks.

The wonderful design and look of the film, those marvellous garish colours; the feeling of alienation (sorry) by Jimmy when it seems that not only can he not trust the local police but even his parents seem to be under the control of the aliens. And that wonderful ending when it seems that the nightmare will never end.

Of course you can pick faults: the master alien is rather ridiculous looking. And the scenes of the aliens running through the tunnels would never strike dread in you. But I'm sure the budget, even by the standards of the time was not much above Poverty Row. But these are minor quibbles. Its the overall impact that matters most. And the accurate portrayal of the concerns of the time.

I know there are many films of the 1950's which Americans maintain are allegories of the McCarthy witch-hunts and the Cold War. I don't know about that. But I do know that however much I may admire the computerised sci-fi films of the 80's and 90's, this film will always have a special place in my collection.

Watch Fargo (1952) Online

Fargo (1952)iMDB Rating: 7.2
Date Released : 7 September 1952
Genre : Action, Western
Stars : Bill Elliott, Myron Healey, Phyllis Coates, Fuzzy Knight. The brother (House Peters Jr.) of rancher Bill Martin (Bill Elliott) is killed in a stampede started by cattleman. Bill returns to the Fargo country to take his brother's place and is welcomed by law-abiding cattleman MacKenzie (Jack Ingram)) and his daughter Kathy (Phyllis Coates). The leader of the ruthless cattle interests are townsman Austin (Arthur Space) and his henchmen Red (Myron Healey),..." />
Movie Quality : BRrip
Format : MKV
Size : 700 MB

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The brother (House Peters Jr.) of rancher Bill Martin (Bill Elliott) is killed in a stampede started by cattleman. Bill returns to the Fargo country to take his brother's place and is welcomed by law-abiding cattleman MacKenzie (Jack Ingram)) and his daughter Kathy (Phyllis Coates). The leader of the ruthless cattle interests are townsman Austin (Arthur Space) and his henchmen Red (Myron Healey), Link (Robert J. Wilke) and Albord (Terry Frost). Bill has the idea of putting up barbed wire to keep the herds from been driven over the land cultivated by the farmers. He, aided by Tad Sloan (Fuzzy Knight), produces the wire by make-shift methods, but it proves effective. The cattleman charge in court that the wire is dangerous to their herds but lose the case. Austin orders his men to seize Bill, bale him in strands of the wire, and throw him on the stage of the town hall during a fall festival. Bill doesn't take kindly to this and it precipitates open war.

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Review :

Wild Bill cuts loose ........

William "Wild Bill" Elliott was one of the better western stars of the 1940's and 1950's. His no-nonsense, peaceable man demeanor served him well in this and dozens of other films. Whether it was fistfights, gunfights or shootouts, he was always on top of his game.

This film was exciting, fast-paced and entertaining. Elliott was fine in this role and was supported by a fine cast. The production values and budget on this film seem a notch above other similar films of the era.

All in all, this was one of Elliot's best films. this is good, quality entertainment........ the kind that is sorely lacking nowadays !

Streaming Pack Train (1953) Online

Pack Train (1953)iMDB Rating: 7.3
Date Released : 5 July 1953
Genre : Western
Stars : Gene Autry, Champion, Gail Davis, Kenne Duncan
Movie Quality : HDrip
Format : MKV
Size : 870 MB

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When Sunshine Valley settlers face disaster because of a food shortage and medicine shortage, Gene Autry and Dan Coleman, father of Gene's friend Jennifer, buy supplies in Trail's End, but additional supplies promised by the operators of the town's only store, Lola Riker and her partner Ross McLain are not forthcoming. With the aid of the law and his friend Smiley, Gene gets a shipment through to Sunshine Valley, battling off a hi-jacking attempt but too late to prevent a little girl, Judy, from dying because of a lack of medicine. Gene heads for a showdown battle with McLain.

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Review :

One of Gene's Last Movies Is Sadly At Best Routine

One of Gene's final Saturday matinée outings (his big screen tenure would end with "Last of the Pony Riders" later that year) before he devoted his time to his TV shows and other business activities to make him one of the wealthiest men in Hollywood. Sadly, "Pack Train" is at best a routine low budget oater. Even the action sequences, except for the last one which takes place aboard a speeding locomotive, are poorly edited and often the topography of the bad guys shooting at Gene is different from the topography of the Gene returning their fire. The story is meager, the humor lame, and even the music is sparse. The three songs are not bad being written by Gene and gifted songwriter Smiley Brunette. "God's Little Candle," by Gene and Smiley is pleasing and the harmony easy on the ears. Novelty tunes were Smiley's forte and "Hominy and Grits" as performed by Smiley is light-hearted and fun to hear. The other one, "Wagon Train," is lackluster but passable.

One plus for the film is seeing Gene, Smiley, and Gene's new leading lady from Arkansas, Gail Davis, together. Pat Buttram's wife, Sheila Ryan, makes a believable lady outlaw whose in collusion with veteran character actor, Kenne Duncan. Tom London who plays Gail Davis' father in the film is always a treat for western fans. In a change of roles, Harry Lauter plays a good bad guy who because Gene spares his life sells out his boss so Gene can nab him. And then there's always Champion, who often upstaged the human actors.

The plot centers around a group of settlers sponsored by Gene who are in dire need of supplies or face starvation and disease. The only supplies in town are controlled by the crooks who attempt to cheat the new arrivals. For a change the title of the movie actually describes the story as Smiley uses a pack train to get the supplies where needed.

I would recommend this shoot-em-up for Gene's multitude of fans who are interesting in seeing his last three westerns. His TV shows of 1953 are actually better made. Other viewers beware.